Green Tkemali
Prep 25 min Total 1 hr 20 min
Green Tkemali - kvalifood.com
Green tkemali is a Georgian sour plum sauce made from unripe plums in spring. It is tart, herb-heavy, and garlicky, used as a condiment for grilled meat, potatoes, and bread. The traditional plum is the cherry plum (Prunus cerasifera), which is very sour compared to Western varieties.
Makes ca. 800 ml
Ingredients
- 1 kg green (unripe) sour plums
- 1 garlic bulb (ca. 50 g), peeled and minced
- 50 g fresh cilantro, leaves and tender stems, finely chopped
- 80 g fresh dill fronds, finely chopped
- 20 g fresh spearmint leaves, finely chopped
- 20 g fresh summer savory, stalks tied in a bundle
- 2 green chili peppers (jalapeno or serrano), finely chopped, to taste
- 20-30 g sugar (optional, to taste)
- salt, to taste
- water, to cover plums
Directions
Place the plums in a deep pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil over high heat.
Reduce to a simmer and add the summer savory bundle. Cook until the plums are completely soft and falling apart, about 15-20 minutes.
Remove the plums to a bowl with a slotted spoon. Reserve the cooking water. Discard the summer savory bundle.
Press the plums through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean pot, working in batches with a wooden spoon. Push firmly to extract all pulp and juice. Discard stones and skins.
If the puree is too thick, thin with reserved cooking water until it reaches a pourable sauce consistency.
Add the cilantro, spearmint, green chili, and garlic. Season with salt and stir well.
Place over medium heat and bring to a boil. Taste and add sugar if the sauce is too sour.
Once boiling, add the dill. Stir and boil for exactly 1 minute.
Remove from heat and cool completely before transferring to clean glass jars. Refrigerate.
Notes
- Georgian cherry plums are very sour. If using sweeter Western plums (Santa Rosa, greengage), add 1-2 tbsp lemon juice to compensate.
- Spearmint is the safest substitute for the traditional pennyroyal, which has liver toxicity risks.
- Summer savory is infused whole and removed, not chopped into the sauce. If unavailable, omit it.
- Refrigerated, the sauce keeps 2-3 weeks. In sterilized jars, it stores for months.
See Also
